Mark Cooper has said he is being supported by SU Glovers as he seeks to recruit new players to help Yeovil Town’s relegation battle at the foot of the National League.
But the manager has reiterated that it is difficult to convince clubs to give him players as the season reaches its ‘business end’ at both ends of the table.
Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend’s visit by Woking, he said: “(The new owners) are keen, but because of the stage of the season we are at I don’t think they are daft enough to just go and get people for the sake of it and get caught wasting money.
“There still has to be some process behind how we recruit, if that person is not available, we can’t magic them up and at this stage of the season it is very difficult to get good players because nobody wants to let them go.
“I have given them some names and we have tried to move on that, but it is a difficult time to recruit.”
Asked exactly what he needed, he added: “I need somebody who can score us 15 goals before the end of the season, but I am not daft enough to think we are going to get one of those.” Amen to that, Mark!
He admitted the team had felt pressure with an announcement that the group, led by Matt Uggla and former England rugby union player Paul Sackey, coming just an hour before the 1-1 draw with Altrincham at Huish Park on Tuesday night.
Having gone a goal down to a first half header from visiting defender James Jones, the Glovers rallied and earned a valuable point courtesy of a penalty from Jordan Maguire-Drew after the break.
Cooper said: “There was a lot of apprehension among the players and the pressure they feel. Because it is such a young group it is just about reassuring them and making them feel good and I thought second half they were very good.
“It is the same thing when new people come in, you put yourself in the position that you are going to be there and not replaced, it’s football and they know the owners will come in and have ideas, but the only way (to make sure they are involved) is by performing well and getting results.”
The manager rested captain Josh Staunton and midfielder Matt Worthington for that game, but confirmed both will be available for the return of former manager Darren Sarll with his Woking side on Saturday, adding: “There was probably five or six people we needed to rest, but we didn’t have the depth to do that. They will be fine (for Saturday), we had one or two others who might have picked up knocks.”
The manager said that his initial discussions with the new owners had gone well and said he hoped the public statements made by both Uggla and Sackey would encourage supporters who had stayed away from Huish Park under the ownership of Scott Priestnall to return this weekend.
Cooper added: “With the new people being in the same it might give everyone a lift, there might not be as much negativity around the stadium because the players pick up on that. Hopefully there is a feel good factor.
“We sincerely hope we get excellent numbers because that can only help. I understand that fans when they have been beaten down for so long are very sceptical – who it is, what it is and why it is. Hopefully that has been put to rest and they can now fully get behind the club they support.
“If we can get the place bouncing again it can be so powerful and there’s no reason why the last few games we have at home that we can’t have it like that.”